budget. we were about $3 billion out of balance. >> the first cabinet meeting, it is governor asked one of his assistants to bring out a list of campaign promises. there were something like 44. the governor said, by the end of this administration, we are going to go down this cheque list and keep each and every promise that was made. >> i said, he's different. >> i cut spending dollars in massachusetts. we balanced our budget and went from a $3 billion budget gap in my first year to over $2 billion rainy day fund. >> when he came into office, we were in fiscal crisis, when we came out, we were on much more solid footing. >> his whole life has brought him to this point of being able to have the skills and the experience to be able to tackle something as difficult as this, as turning this country around. >> mitt romney is in this race, i believe, not just for himself. he is in it to improve the lives

of the american people. >> an extraordinary chief executive officer. i know he understands the economy. >> he's uniquely qualified to get our economy moving again. >> take control. >> not a stuffed-shirt guy. >> charismatic. >> he is rock solid. authentic leader. >> his values are so strong. >> a man of faith. >> extraordinary character. >> cares about the lives of those with voices that are unheard. >> an amazing, humble man. >> i think he has a great deal of pride. >> finds a way of turning adversity into opportunity. >> this is the guy who can do it, turn this country around. >> i will devote every waking hour of my energy of to getting america strong again.

that's what an american president has to do. >> the big night for governor mitt romney, just minutes until he takes the stage and accepts his party's nomination for president. good evening, i'm bret baier. >> good evening, i'm megyn kelley. the surprise speaker we now know is clint eastwood. florida senator marco rubio will speak after that and introduce the man of the evening, governor mitt romney. >> we are waiting for the introduction to clint eastwood. this was the surprise. but we found out today. i think carl cameron might have broken the story. let's listen in. [cheers and applause]

>> thank you very much. thank you. thank you very much. thank you. save a little for mitt. i know what you issue thinking... you are thinking, what's a movie tradesman doing out here -- you know, they are all left wingers out there. at least that's what people think. but that's not really the case. there is a lot of conservative

people, a lot of moderate people, republicans, democrats in hollywood. it's just a conservative people by the nature of the word play it more close to the vest and they don't go around hotdogging it. [laughter and cheers]. >> but they're there. believe me, they're there. and i just i think, in fact some of them are around town. i saw jon voight. a lot of people here in town. jon's here. academy award winner. terrific guy. these people are all like minded, like all of us. so i have -- i have mr. obama sitting here. and he is -- just was going to ask him a couple of questions. but, you know, about -- i remember 3 1/2 years ago when mr. obama won the election.

and though i wasn't a big supporter, i was watching that night when he was having that thing and they were talking about hope and change and they were talking about, yes we can. and it was dark and outdoors and it was nice. people were lighting cappedles and they were saying -- candles and they were saying -- i just thought, this was great. everybody's crying. oprah was crying. [laughter] >> i was even crying. and finally -- i haven't cried that hard since i found out that there is 23 million unemployed people in this country. [cheers and applause] now that is something to cry for because that is a disgrace, a national disgrace. we haven't done enough, obviously, this administration hasn't done enough to cure that. and whatever -- whatever

interests they have is not strong enough. i think possibly now it may be time for somebody else to come along and solve the problems. [cheers and applause] so, mr. president, how do you handle -- how do you handle promises that you made when you were running for election and how do you handle -- how do you handle it? what do you say to people? do you just -- you know, i know people -- i know some of the people in your own party were very dispoipted when you didn't close gitmo -- why close it?

we spent so much monoit. but i thought maybe this was an excuse -- what do you mean shutup? okay. i thought it was just because somebody had this stupid idea of trying terrorists in downtown new york city. maybe that was it. [cheering] >> i have to hand it to you, did you overrule that finally. that's -- now we are moving onward. i know in the -- i know you were against the war in iraq. that's okay. but you thought the war in afghanistan was okay. i mean, you thought that was something that was worth doing. we didn't check with the russians to see how they did for 10 years.

[cheering] >> it was, you know, it's something to be thought about. and i think that... when we get to maybe -- i think you mentioned something about having a target date for bringing everybody home. and you give that target date and i think mr. romney asked the only sensible question. he said, why are you giving the date out now? why don't you just bring them home tomorrow morning? i thought -- [cheering] >> i thought, yeah. i'm not going to shut up. it's my turn. we are going to have -- we are going to have to have a chat about that. and then, i just wondered, all these promises and then i wondered about, you know, when

... what? twha do you want me to tell romney? i can't tell him to do that. he can't do that to himself. you are absolutely crazy. you are getting as bad as biden. [laughter] of course we all know biden is the intellect of the democratic party. just a kind of a -- kind of a grin with a body behind it. i think there is so much to be done. i think that mr -- mr. romney

and mr. ryan are two guy who is can come along. see, i never thought that it was a good idea for attorneys to be president anyway. [cheering] i think attorneys are always taught to argue everything and always weigh both sides and they're always, you know... they're always devil's advocating this and bifurcating this and that and all of that stuff. but i think it's maybe time -- what do you think, for maybe a businessman? how about that? [cheering] a stellar businessman. quote/unquote. a stellar businessman. i think it's that time. i think if you just stepped aside and mr. romney can kind of

take over. you can still use the plane. [laughter] >> so maybe a smaller one, not that big gas guzzler when you are driving around to colleges, talking about student loans and stuff like that. you are an ecological man. why would you want to drive that truck around? okay. anyway... all right. i'm sorry. i can't do that to myself either. anyway... but i just like to say something, ladies and gentlemen, something that i think is very important. it is that you, we -- we own this country. [cheering]

it's not you owning it and politicians owning it. politicians are employees of ours. [cheering] >> they're just going to come around and beg for votes every few years and it's the same old deal. but i just think that it's important that you realize that -- that you are the best in the world. whether a democrat or a republican or whether you are a libertarian or whatever, you are the best. and we should not ever forget that. and when somebody does not do the job, we have to let them go. [cheering]

>> okay. just remember that. i am speak out for everybody out there. it doesn't humplt we don't have to be... i don't say that word anymore. well, maybe one last time. [laughter] we don't have to be -- what i am saying is we don't have to be masochists and vote for somebody we don't really want in office just because they seem to be nice guys or maybe not-so-nice guys if you look at the recent ads going out there. i don't know... but... okay. you want to make my day, huh?

all right. i'll start it, you finish it... go ahead...: [crowd yelling make my day]. >> all right. thank you. thank you. >> please welcome, senator marco rubio. >> thank you. thank you.

>> i think i just drank clint eastwood water. thank you. thank you so much. thank you so much for having me here today and doing this convention here in florida. before i begin -- thank you. before i begin, this is such an important night for our country. i want to take -- with your permission, just a few seconds to talk about another country, a country located just a few hundred miles away from this city, the country of my parents' birth. there is no liberty in cuba. i ask for your prayers that disproim liberty will soon be theirs as well [applause] >> it's a big honor for me. not so long ago, i was a deep underd only people who thought i could win all lived in my house. four of them were under the age

of 10. but this is in incredible when i was asked to introduce mitt romney, who we will hear from in just a moment. i promise you, he is back stage, ready to go. cheering cheering. >> i called a few people and i asked them, what should i say? they had a a lot of opinions. but the one thing they all said is: don't mess it up. so i thought the best way to introduce mitt romney tonight, the next president of the united states... cheering cheering. >> is to talk about what this election is about. i am so honored to be able to do it here in florida, at the republican national convention, in front of all you patriots. [cheering] >> i watched the first convention in mean 80 with my grandfather. he was born to a farming fam flee rural cuba. childhood polio left hes him permanently disabled. he couldn't work the farm so he

went to school. he was the only one in the family who knew how to read. he was a huge influence on me. as a boy, i used to sit on the porch of our house and listen to his stories about history, politics and baseball, as he would puff on one of his three daily padron cigars. i don't remember -- it's been 3 decades since we last sat on that porch. i don't remember all the things he talked to me about, but the one thing i remember is the one thing he wanted me never to forget, that the dreams he had when he was young became impossible to achieve. but there was no limit how far i could go because i was an american. >> now, for those of us -- here's why i say that -- here's why i say that. for those of us who were born and raised in this country, it becomes easy to forget how

special america is. but my grandfather understood how different america was from the rest of the world because he knew life outside america. tonight, you will hear from another man who understands what makes america exceptional. [cheering] mitt romney knows america's prosperity didn't happen because our government spent more money. it happened because our people used their own money to open a business. when they succeed, they hire more people who invest and spend their money in the economy, helping others start a business or create jobs. now, tonight, we have heard for a long time now about mitt romney's success in business, it's well known. but we have also learned he is so much more than that. mitt romney is a devoted husband, a father, a grandfather, a generous member of his community and church, a role model for younger americans

like myself. everywhere he's been, he has volunteered his time andital tonight make better for those around him. and we are blessed that a man like this will soon be the president of these united states. [cheering] let me be clear so no one understands, our problem with president obama is not that he's a bad person. by all accounts he, too, is a good husband, a good father and thanks a lot to practice, a good golfer... our problem is not that he's a bad person. our problem is that he's a bad president. [cheering]

you think he's watching tonight? [laughter] because his new slogan for his campaign is the word: forward. forward? a government that spends $1 trillion more than it takes in? an $800 billion stimulus to create more debt than jobs? a government intervention into health care, paid for with higher taxes taxes and cuts to medicare. scores of new rules. these ideas don't move us forward, these ideas move us backwards. it -- these are tired and old big-government ideas that have failed every time and everywhere they have been tried. these are ideas that people come to america to get away from. [cheering]

these are ideas that threaten to make america more like the rest of the world, instead of helping the rest of the world become more like america. [cheering] as for his old slogan, under barack obama, the only chinch is that hope is hard to find. now, sadly, millions of americans are insecure about their future. but instead of inspiring us, by reminding us of what makes us special, he divides us against each other. he tells americans that they're worse off because others are better off, that rich people got rich by making other people poor. hope and change has become divide and conquer. [applause] in the end this election doesn't

matter about how you feel about president obama because this election is about your future, not about his. and this election is not simply a choice between a democrat and a republican. it's a choice about what kind of country we want america to be. as you prepare to make this choice, we should remember what made us special. you see, for most of human history, almost everybody was poor. power and wealth only belonged to a few. your right to whatever your rulers allowed you to have, your future was determined by your past. if your parents were poor, so would you be. if you were born without opportunities, so are your children. but america was founded on the principle that every person has god-given rights... [cheers and applause]

founded on the beliefs that power belongs to the people, that government exists to protect our rights and serve our interests and that no one should be trapped in the circumstances of their birth. we should be free to go as far as ouritallent and our work can take us. and we are special -- we are special because we are united not as a common race or a common ethnicity, we are bound together by common values that family's the most important institution in society... [cheers and applause] and that all mighty god is the source of all we have. [cheers and applause]

>> we are special -- we are special because we have never made the mistake of believing that we are so smart that we can rely solely on our leaders or our government. our national motto "in god we trust" reminding us that faith in our creator is the most important american value of them all. [cheers and applause] and we are special -- we are special because we have always understood the scriptural admonition, that to whomever much has been given, much will be required. well... my fellow americans, we are a uniquely blessed people. and we have honored those blessings with the enduring example of an exceptional

america. i know for many of you watching at home tonight, the last few years have tested your faith in the promise of america. maybe you are at an age when you thought you would be entering retirement but because your savings and investments are wiped out, your future's uncertain, maybe this is the time you expected to be your prime earning years, but instead, you are laid off and your house is worth less than your mortgage. maybe you did everything you were told to do to get ahead, you studied heard and finished school, but now you owe thousands of dollars in student loans, you can't find a job in your field and have you had to move back in with your parents. you want to believe that we're still that special place where anything is possible. but you just -- things don't seem to be getting any better. you wonder if things will ever be the same again. yes, we live in a troubled time.

but the story of those who came before us reminds us that america has always been about new beginnings and mitt romney is running for president because he knows that if we are willing to do for our children what our parents did for us, life in america can be better than it has ever been! [cheers and applause] my mother was one of seven girls, whose parents often went to bed hungry so their children wouldn't. my father lost his mother when he was nine. he had to leave school and go to work. he would work the next 70 years of his life. they emigrated to america with little more than the hope of a better life. my dad was a bartender, my mom was a cashier, a hotel maid, a

stock clerk at k-mart. they never made it big. they were never rich. yet, they were successful because just the few decades removed from hopelessness, they made possible for us all the things that had been impossible for them. many nights growing up, i would hear my father's keys jingling at the door as he came home after a 16-hour day. many mornings i woke up as my mother got home from the overnight shift at k-mart. when you are young and you are in a hurry, the meaning of momes like this escape you. but now, as my children get older, i understand it better. my dad used to tell us... [speaking spanish] in this country, in this country, you are going to be able to accomplish all the things we never could. a few years ago, during a speech, i noticed the bartender

behind the portable bar in the back of the ballroom, i remembered my father who worked for many years as a banquet bartender. he was grateful for the work he had. but that's not the life he wanted for us. you see, he stood mind the bar in the back of the room all those years, so one day, i could stand behind the podium in the front of a room... [cheering] >> that journey -- that journey from behind that bar to behind this podium goes to the essence of the american miracle that we are exceptional not because we have more rich people here. we are special because dreams that are impossible anywhere

else, they come true here. [cheering] that's not just my story. that's your story. that's our story. that's the story of your mother's, who trugled to give you what they never had. that's the story of your father who is worked two jobs so the doors that had been closed for them would be open for you. that's the story of that teacher or that coach that taught you the lesson that made you who you are today. and it's the story of a man who was born into an uncertain future in a foreign country, his family came to america to escape revolution. they struggled through poverty and the great depression. yet, he rose to be an admired businessman and public servant. and in november, his son mitt romney will be elected president of these united states.

[cheering] >> and america... in america, we are all just a generation or two removed from someone who made our future the purpose of their lives. america is the story of everyday people who did extraordinary things. a story woven deep bot fabric of our society. their stories may never be famous. but in the lives they live, you will find the essence of america's greatness. and to make sure that america is still a place where tomorrow is

always better than yesterday, that is what our politics should be about and that is what we are deciding this election. we decide do we want our children to inherit our hopes and dreeps or do we want them to inherito our problems? because mitt romney believes if we succeed in changing the direction of our country, our children and grandchildren will be the most prosperous generation ever and their achievements will astonish the world. the story of our time will be written by americans who haven't yet even been born. let us make sure that they write that we did our part, that in the early years of this new century, we lived in an

uncertain time. but we did not allow fear to cause us to abondon what made us special. we chose more government instead of more freedom. we chose the principles of our founding to solve the challenges of our time. we chose a special man to lead us in a special time. we chose mitt romney to lead our nation and because we did, the american miracle lives on for another generation to inherit! [cheers and applause] >> my fellow republicans, my fellow americans, i am proud to introduce to you the next president of the united states of america, mitt romney! [cheering]

>> thank you. >> mr. chairman... mr. chairman and delegates...: [cheering] mr. chairman and delegates, i accept your nomination for president of the united states! [cheering]

i do so with humility, deeply moved by the trust you placed in me. it's a great honor. it's an even greater responsibility. and tonight, i am asking you to join me to talkwalk together, to a better future. and by my side, i have chosen a man with a big heart from a small town. [cheering] he represents the best of america. a man who will always make us very proud, my friend and america's next vice-president, paul ryan.

in the days ahead, you are going to get to know paul and jenna better. but last night, america got to see what i see in paul ryan aircrafts strong, caring leader who is down to earth and confident in the challenge this moment demands. and i love the way he lights up around his kids and how he is not embarrassed to show the world how much he loves his mom. but paul, i still like to playlist on my ipod, better than yours. four years ago, i know many americans felt a fresh excitement about the possibilities of a new president. that choice was not the choice of our party, but americans always come together after elections. we are a good and generous people. we are united by so much more than what divides us. when that election was over,

when the yard signs came down and the television commercials came off the air, americans were eager to go back to work. to live our lives the way americans always have, optimistic and positive and confident in the future. that very optimism is uniquely american. it's what brought us to america. we are a nation of immigrants. with the children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those who wanted to hear a better life, the one who is woke up to that voice calling them, telling them that life in america could be better. they came not just in pursuit of the riches of this world, but for the richness of this life. freedom. freedom of religion, freedom to speak their mind, freedom to build a life, and yes, freedom to build a business with their own hands. [cheering]

this is the essence of the american experience. we americans have always felt a special kinship with the future. when every new wave of immigrants looked up and saw the statue of liberty or kissed the shores of freedom, 90 miles from castro's tyranny, they surely had many questions, but none doubted that here in america, they could build a better life, that in america, their children would be blessed more than they. but today, four years from the excitement of that last election, for the first time, the majority of americans now doubt that our children will have a better future. that's not what we were promised. every family in america wanted this to be a time when they could get a little ahead, put aside a little more for college, do more for the yeld early mom who is living alone, or give a

little more to their church or charity. every small business wanted these to be their best years ever when they could hire more, do more for those who stuck with them through the hard times, open a new store, sponsor that little league team, every new college graduate thought they would have a good job by now, a place of their own. they could start paying back some of their loans and build for the future. this is when our nation was supposed to start paying down the national debt and rolling back the massive deficits. this was the hope and change that america voted for. it is not just what we wanted, it is not just what we expected, it is what americans deserve! [cheering]

you deserve it because during these years, you worked harder than ever before. because when it costs more to fill up your car, you put in longer hours. or when you lost that job that paid $22.50 an hour with benefits, you took 2 jobs at $9 an hour. you deserve it because your family depended on you and did you it because you are an

american and you don't quit. you did it because it was what you had to do. driving home late from that second job or stabbeding there watching the gas pump hit $50 and still going... when the reality told you to sell your house, you would have to take a big loss, in those moments you knew, this just wasn't right. but what could you do? except work harder, do with less, try to stay optimistic, hug your kids a little longer, maybe spend a little more time praying that tomorrow would be a better day. i wish president obama had succeeded because i want america to succeed. [cheering] but his promises gave way to disappointment and division. this isn't something we have to accept. now is the moment when we can do something. and with your help, we will do

something. [cheering] now is the moment we can stand up and say, i'm an american, i make my destiny, we deserve better. my children deserve better. my family deserves better. my country deserves better! [cheering] so here we stand, americans have a choice, a decision. to make that choice, you need to know more about me and where i would lead our country. i was born in the middle of the country, a classic baby-boomer. a time when americans were returning from bar and eager to

work. to be an american was to assume that all things were possible, when president kennedy challenged americans to go to the moon, the question wasn't whether we would get there, it was only when we would get there. [cheering] the souls of neil armstrong's boots on the moon made permanent impressions on our souls and i watched those steps together on her parents' sofa, like all americans, we went to bed that night, knowing we live in the greatest country in the history of the world. god bless neil armstrong. [cheering] tonight, that american flag is

still there on the moon. and i don't doubt for a second that neil sarm strong's spirit is still with us, that unique blend of optimism, humility and the utter confidence that when the world needs someone to do the really big stuff, you need an american. my dad had been born in mexico and his family had to leave during the mexican revolution. i grew up with stories of his family being fed by the u.s. government, as war refugees. my dad never made it through college. he apprenticed as a lath and plaster carpenter. he had big dreams. he convinced my mom, a beautiful actress, to give up hollywood to marry him and move to detroit -- [cheering]

>> he led a great automobile company and became governor of the great state of michigan. we were -- we were mormons and growing up in michigan, that might have seemed unusual or out of place, but i don't remember it that way. my friends cared more about what sports teams we followed than what church we went to. my mom and dad gave their kids the greatest gift of all, the gift of unconditional love. they cared deeply about who we would be and much less about what we would do. unconditional love is a gift that ann and i have tried to pass on to our sons and now to our grandchildren. all the laws and legislation in the world will never heal this world like the hearts and arms of loving moms and fathers. [cheering]

>> you know, if every child could drift asleep, feeling it is love of their family and god's love, this world would be a far more gentle and better place. my mom and dad were married for 64 years. and if you wondered what their secret was, you could have asked the local florist. because every day, dad gave mom a rose, which he put on her bedside table. that's how she found out what happened to the day my father died. she went looking for him because that morning, there was no rose. my mom and dad were true partners. a life lesson that showed me by everyday example. when my mom ran for senate, my dad was there for her every step of the way. i could still see her saying in

her beautiful voice, why this shwomen have any less say thane than men about the great decisions facing our nation? [cheering] >> don't you wish she could have been here that the convention and heard leaders like governor falon and governor sasanna martines, secretary of state, condoleezza rice... cheering cheering -- [cheering] as governor of massachusetts, i chose a woman lieutenant governor, a woman chief of

staff, half of my cabinet and senior officials were women. in business, i mentored and supported great women leader who is went on to run great companies. i grew up in detroit, in love with cars and wanted to be a car guy like my dad. but by the time i was out of school, i realized that i had to go out on my own, that if i stayed around michigan in the same business, i would never really know if i was getting a break because of my dad. i wanted to go somewhere new and prove myself. those weren't the easiest of days. many long hours and weekends working, five young son who is seemed to have this need to re-enact a different world war every night. but if you asked ann and i what we would give to break up just one more fight between the boys, or wake up in the morning and discover a pile of kids asleep in our room -- every mom and dad knows the answer to that. those days were the...

[applause] these were tough days on ann, particularly. she was the heroic to it all. five boys with our families a long way away. i had to travel a lot for my job then. i would call and try to offer support. but every mom knows that doesn't help get the homework done or get the kids up to go to school. i knew that her job as a mom was harder than mine and i knew without question that her job as a mom was a lot more important than mine. and as america saw tuesday night, ann would have succeeded at anyb thing she wanted to do.

anything she wanted to do. [cheering] look a lot of families in a new place with no found kinship with a wide circle of friends through our church. when we were new to the community, it was welcoming. as the years went by, it was a joy to help other who is just moved into town or just joined our church. we had remarkably vibrant and diverse congregations from all walks of life and many who were new to america. we prayed together. our kids played together and we always stood ready to help each other out in different ways. that's how it is in america. we look to our communities, our faiths, our families for our joy, our support in good times and bad. it's both how we live our lives and why we live our lives.

the strength and power and goodness of america has always been based on the strength and power and goodness of our communities, our families and our faiths. that's it is bedrock of what makes "america this week." in our best days, we can feel the vibrancy of america's communities, larm and small. so when we see that new business opening up downtown, it's when we go to work in the morning and see everybody else on the block doing the same thing. it's when our son or daughter calls from college to talk about which job offer they should take and you try not to choke up when you hear the one they like best is know too far from home. it's that good feeling when have you more time to volar to to coach your kids' soccer team or help out on school trips. but for too many americans, those kind of good days are harder to come by.

how many days have you woken up feeling something really special was happening in america? many of you felt that way four years ago, hope and change had a powerful appeal. but tonight, i would ask a simple question, if you felt that excitement when you voted for barack obama, shouldn't you feel that way now that he's president obama? [applause] you know there is something wrong with the kind of job he's done as president when the best feeling you had was the day you voted for him. [laughter] the president hasn't disappointed you because he wanted to. the president has disappointed america because he hasn't led america in the right direction. he took office without the basic qualification that most

americans have, and one that was essential to the task at hand. he had almost no experience working in a business. jobs to him are about government [applause] i learned the real letionzons about how america works from experience. i was 37, i helped start a small company. my partners and i had been working for a company that was in the business of helping other businesses. so some of us had this idea that we really believed our advice was helping companies, we should invest in company, bet on ourselves and our advice. so we started a new business called bain capital. the only problem was, while we believed in ourselves, not many other people did. we were young and had never done this before and we almost didn't get off the ground. in those days, sometimes i wondered if i made a really big

mistake. by the way, i thought about asking my church's pension fund to invest -- but i didn't. i figured it was bad enough that i might lose my investors' money but i didn't want to go to hell too. [laughter] shows what i know. another of my partner's got the episcopal church pension fund to invest. today, there are a lot of happy, retired priests that should thank him. that business we started with 10 people has grown into a great american success story. some of the companies we helped start are names you know and have heard from tonight. an office company called staples where i am pleased to see the obama campaign's been shopping.

the sports authority, which of course became a favorite of my boys. we helped start an early childhood learning company called bright horizons that first lady michelle obama rightly praised. and we took a chance on a steel mill in a corn field in indiana -- [cheering] >> today steel dynamics is one of the largest steel producers in the united states. these are american success stories. and yet, the centerpiece of the president's entire re-election campaign is attacking success. is it any wonder that someone who attacks success has led the worst economic recovery since the great depression? [cheering] in america, we celebrate

success. we don't apologize for success! [cheering] now, we weren't always successful at bain, but no one ever is in the real world of business. that's what this president doesn't seem to understand. business and growing jobs is about taking risks, sometimes failing, sometimes succeeding, but always striving. it's about dreams. usually it doesn't work out exactly as you might have imagined. steve jobs was fired at apple. and then he came back and changed the world. it's the genius of the american free enterprise system to harness the extraordinary creativity and talent and

industry of the american people with a system that is dedicated to creating tomorrow's prosperity, not trying to redistribute today. [cheering] that's why... that's why every president since the great depression who came before the american people asking for a second term could look back at the last four years and say with satisfaction, you are better off than you were four years ago. except jimmy carter. and except this president. [cheering] this president can ask us to be

patient. this president can tell us it was someone else's fault. this president can tell us that the next four years, he'll get it right. but this president cannot tell us that you are better off today than when he took office. [cheering] today the time has come to put aside the deviciveness and recrime nations. to forget about what might have been and look ahead to what can be. now, is the time to restore the promise of america.

many americans have given up on this president. but they haven't ever thought about giving up. not on themselves, not on each other, and not on america. what is needed in our country today is not complicated or profound. doesn't take a special government commission to tell whaus america needs. what america needs is jobs. lots of jobs. in the richest country in the history of the world this obama economy has crushed the middle class, family income fallen by $4,000 but health insurance premiums are higher, food prices are higher. utility bills are higher and gasoline prices, they've doubled. the day more americans wake up in poverty than ever before. nearly one out of six americans is living in poverty.

look around you. these aren't change changer- -- strangers. these are our brothers and sisters. his policies have not helped create jobs. they've depressed them. this i can tell you where president obama will take america. his plan to raise taxes on small business ont add jobs. it would eliminate them. his assault on coal and gas and oil will send energy and manufacturing jobs to china. his trillion-dollar cuts to the military will eliminate hundreds of thousands of jobs and also put our security at greater risk. his $716 billion cut to medicare to finance obama care will hurt today's seniors and depress innovation and jobs in medicine.

and his trillion dollar deficits slow our economy. restrain employment, and cause wages to stall. to the majority of american who's now believe that the future will not be better than the past, i can guarantee you this. if barack obama is reelected, you'll be right. i'm running for president to help create a better future. a few tour where everyone who wants a job can find a job where no senior fears for security of their retirement z america where every parent knows their child will get an ed indication that leads them to a good skbrob a bright horizon. unlike the president very a plan to create 12 million new jobs.

paul ryan and i have five steps. first by 2020, north america will be energy independent by taking full advantage of our oil, our gas, our coal and our renewables. second, we'll give our fellow citizens skills they immediate to be the jobs of today and careers of tomorrow when it comes to the school your child will attend, every parent should have a choice. and every child should have a chance. third, we'll make trade work for america by forging new

trade agreements and when nations cheat in trade there will be unmistakeable consequences. and fourth, to assure every entrepreneur and every job creator that their investments in america will not vanish as have those in greece, we'll cut the deficit and put america on track to a balanced budget. and fifth, we'll champion small businesses, america's engine of job growth, meaning reduces taxes on business, not raising them, simplifying and notternizing regulation that's hurt small business the most and means we must reign in the skyrocketing cost of health

care by repealing and replacing obama care. today women are more likely than men to start a business. they need a president who respects and understands what they do. let me make this very clear. unlike president obama, i will not raise taxes on the middle class of america. as president, i'll protect the sanctity of live and honor the institution of marriage.

and ill will guarantee america's first liberty, the freedom of religion. president obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans. and to heal the planet. my promise is to help you and your family.

i will begin my presidency with a jobs tour, president obama began his presidency with an apology tour. america, he said, dictated to other nations, no, mr. president. america has freed other nations from dictators. every american... was relieved

the day president obama gave the order and s.e.a.l. team six took out osama bin laden. on another front, every american is less secure today because he failed to slow iran's nuclear threat. in the first tv interview as president he said we should talk to iran. we're still talking. iran's centrifuges are still spinning. president obama has thrown allies like israel under the bus arks band oning friends in poland, walking away from a missile defense commitments. and he's eager to give russia's president putin the flexibility he desires after the election.

under my administration, our friends will see more loyalty and mr. putin will see less flexibility and more back bone. we will honor america's democratic because a free world is a more peaceful world. this is the bipartisan foreign policy legacy of truman and reagan, under my presidency we'll return to it once again. you might have asked yourselves if these last years are the america we want.

the america that was won for us by the greatest generation. does the america we want borrow $1 trillion from china? does it fail to find jobs needed for 23 million people and half the kids graduating from college? are those schools lagging behind the rest of the developing world? and does america that we want succumb to resentment and division among americans? the america we all know has been a story of the many becoming one. united to preserve liberty and build the greatest economy in the world. uniting to save the world from unspeakable darkness. everywhere i go in america there are monument that's list those who have given lives from america. interest there is no mention of their race, their party afillation or what they did for a living.

they lived and died under a single flag fighting for a single purpose. they pledged allegiance to the united states of america. that america, that united america can unleash an economy putting americans back to work. that will once again lead the world with innovation and product activity and will restore every father and mother's confidence that their childrens' future is brighter than the past. that america, that united america will preserve a military so strong no nation would dare to test it. that america, that america

that united america will uphold the rights that were endowed by our creator and codified in our constitution. that united america will care for the poor and the sick, honor and respect the elderly and give a helping hand to those in need. that america is the best within each of us. that america we want for our children. if i'm elect the president of these united states i will work with all my energy and soul to restore that america to lift our eyes to a better future, that future is our destiny. that future is out there. it's waiting for us. our children deserve it. our nation depends on it. the peace and freedom of the world require it. with your help we'll deliver it. let us bee begin that future for america tonight. thank you so very much. god bless you. may god bless the american

people. may god bless the united states of america. ♪ [ music ] .

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♪ [ music ] . >> those families can fill a stage. that is not even all of them. walking in from the convention floor to a podium closer to the delegates. governor romney clifred a personal speech he filled with stories about his family, faith and business career. and he had a message for millions of americans who supported president obama four years ago. base yaikly it's okay to be disappointed saying there is something wrong with the kind of job he's done as president with the best feeling you had was the day you voted for him.

he told stories in this speech about his family and about growing up. and he also told the american people what his presidency would be like. some of the things we've heard on the campaign trail before delivered in a way he's done before with the five points that he says will create 12 million jobs for the u.s. economy. >> the theme tonight of the convention is we believe in america. you heard that have several weekers tonight focused on what kind of an america we want to have. suggesting this boils down to a choice election about what direction we're going to go in this country. big government versus limited government. interference for peoples' lives which is how these folks see that government help or not. and mitt romney talking about how the president overpromised and under delivered talking about he promised he was going to heal the planet and slow the rise of the oceans.

my promise to help you and your family, one of the biggest applause lines of the night. many speakers said this week look. what america needs is jobs. lots of johns. they've been focused like a layser on those issues since this convention started. there is a war on success, and that what we need are jobs and not distractions as republicans see it with big government and health care. and that as pointed out it's okay for people to admit they may be feeling disappointed about this president and promises made. >> before senator marco rubio from florida clint eastwood had an interesting convention speech, one i think was unique. he had a chair out there talking to what he said was president obama, an empty chair. >> and let's go to chris wallace down on the floor. chris, your thoughts. >> let me say that i get paid

to review politicians. there is no way i'm going to touch clint eastwood's performance tonight. as far as mitt romney is concerned there is an old saying that you campaign in poetry, govern in prose. it was a workman like job. it got the job done. there was a bio. there wasn't some touchy feeling anecdote but -- we're going come back after "america the beautiful .". let's listen to that. ♪ [ music ] .

>> okay. ♪ [ music ] . ♪ [ music ] .

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♪ [ music ] [ cheering ]. >> you continue to see balloons dropping and confetti. and the choice of the song "america the beautiful" was a decision by the romney campaign. one of the negative ads the obama campaign ran made fun of

romney singing that song off key and saying his vision of america wasn't good. showing things he would do, they're saying bring it on. we'll contrast our vision with yours, i was going to go through a check list about what i liked and didn't like. it's silly. people are looking at this extraordinary pictures of the beautiful families and you know... i don't think anything you can say is going match any of this. so look. i'm just going to shut up and watch. >> that is a rare thing for chris wallace. >> it's a good idea. >> by the way i talked to the

balloon guy. 100,000 balloons and 500 pounds of confetti. >> takes a lot of effort and adorable to watch little children having a good time out there. one wonders if they appreciate what's happening with their dad and grand dad. but what a night for mitt romney and ann romney. four years ago you remember him suspending his campaign, having lost john mccain. what a hard fought battle waits for him this time in a primary that lasted several months. now this, is his moment. the first words out of his mouth on the stage, i accept. the republican nomination. now we go forward into a general election battle sure to get heated, expensive, and perhaps at times, ugly. there are a couple months to go knoll nl getting to november 6th. >> one thing to note is that everybody talks about the bounce phone shall that comes out of a convention. it's about what sinks in. what people are talking about

putting their kids back to school and get back from summer. this is house speaker john boehner. >> he's going to introduce cardinal dolean who will give the benediction here tonight. >> ladies and gentlemen, delegates and all of the rest. it's my hon dwror introduce the person who will give our final benediction for the 2012 republican national convention. a man of principle with a keen understanding of our shared commitment to lift up society's most vulnerable. our option for the floor does not translate into a -- understanding the family, community and religious organizations where we truly do look out for one another. i'm blessed to have the privilege of welcoming america's shepherd, his emnans

timothy cardinal doleand, archbishop of nork -- new york. >> with firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, let us pray. all mighty god, father of abraham, isaac, jacob and jesus, we beg your continued blessings on this sanctuary of freedom. and on all of those who proudly call america home. we ask your benediction upon those yet to be born and those about to see you at the end of

this life, bless those families whose ancestors arrived on these shores generations ago as well as those families that have come recently to build a better future while weaving their lives into the rich tapestry of america. we lift up to your loving care those afflicted by recent storms, drought and fire. we ask for the grace to stand in solidarity with all of those who suffer. may we strive to include your tired, your poor, your huddles masseserning to breathe free in production and prosperity of a people so richly blessed. oh, god of wisdom, justice and might, we ask your guidance for those who govern us. and on those who would govern us. the president and vice president, the congress, the supreme court and on all of

those who seek to serve the common good by seeking public office. especially governor romney and congressman ryan. make them all worthy to serve you by serving our country. and help them remember that the only just government is the government that serves it's citizens rather than itself. all mighty god, who gives us the sacred and inalienable gift of life, we sank you as well for the gift of liberty. renew in all of our people the respect for religious freedom in full. that first, most-cherished freedom. make us truly free bif tethering freedom to honoring freedom to goodness, help us live our freedom in hope and love with justice, and in a spirit of moderation. and kindel in our hearts a new

sense of responsibility for freedom's cause. make us ever grateful for those who for more than two centuries have given their lives in freedoms defense, we commend their noble souls to your eternal care. we beg your mighty hand upon our beloved men and women in uniform, may we know the trunl of your creation, respecting the laws of nature and nay cure's god and not seek to replace it with idols of our own making and give us good sense not to cast aside boundaries of righteous living you inscribed in our hearts before enscribing them in tablets of stone. may you mend our every flaw. we pray for those who seek honest labor as we thank you for the spirist generosity to those in need with which you so richly bless this nation.